Having problems playing licks that I hear in my head

I play for little more than 2 years. I like playing blues, but I am still quite rookie level.

I have this problem:

Sometimes I hear in my head very cool and passionate blues licks, that are inside my playing ability.

But when I pick the guitar up, I don't remember them any more, I just start playing the same **** as always. I can't remember much new stuff.


But sometimes, those cool licks that are in my head - they like don't exist on the fretboard :D

I can't even seem to find the key they are in. Those notes in my head.. it seems they aren't on the fretboard at all.


I know Minor and Major pentatonic scales.

Any tips for me?

I like that classic blues - BBKing, SRV,...

If you can sing or hum the line you are hearing in your head, put it onto a recording device (many phones have voice memo functions built in). Take your time and find the notes you have hummed or sung by stopping the recording after each note and matching that pitch on your instrument. It is always good to have inside your head musical ideas to chase down like this, it is much better to hear it in your head first than try to come up with something by just mixing scale fingerings around only. It might seem like a slow process at first, but it gets faster as you get used to doing it, good luck and have fun!

What gtroates said and ...
Learn some other scales. Start with the major scales. This will help you hear/see other sequences/groups/patterns of notes that do exist on the fretboard and exist in music.

To me there wasn't really any shortcut to gaining a wide vocabulary of blues licks.
You really have to just study all the greats, then steal the bits and pieces of them that end up making you and original.

I've learned to play freddie King and Calpton licks, BB King and Albert King Licks, then even gone as far as to learn some Albert Collins licks in standard tuning. But when I play I sound like me. SRV sounded like SRV, even though you could hear pieces of the greats that came before him sprinkled throughout his music. Same could be said of every blues player.

Study all those guys, pay them their just due, litsen to them all over and over.
Get some DVD's made by Greg Koch who can systematicall and easily show you how to play all the blues licks of the greats. It will increase your vocabulary to the poinrt when an idea come to your head you can channel it to the guitar.

There is no magic short cut to be able to do this, but learning those styles will help you form an amalgamation of verbosity that is your own. Because no matter how hard you try to sound like Eric Clapton or Billy Gibbons, you will always sound like you. But the very attempt at trying to sound like them makes you come away better for it. Thats what alot of young players today and beginners don't see. But every great blues players I've ever heard has done this.

Don't stop trying to play the things you hear in your head. That is the best way to choose what to play: by listening to the song and singing something in your head, without even playing your instrument. It avoids that problem of your fingers going into auto-pilot.

as above vocalize or hum the melody then find it on the fretboard

You'd have bigger problems if it was voices in your head ... lol

The voice recorder thing is a good idea. Finding the notes in your head on the fretboard is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. Approach it with patience and it will become more and more natural. Figure out licks in your head as well as your favorite blues players. It takes time but it's worth it!

Also, my blues playing really opened up when I started paying attention to chord tones, instead of just playing one pentatonic scale over the whole progression.

Train yourself to hear and identify intervals. There are smart phone apps that can help with this.

The lick you hear in your head is made up of intervals. When you can identify them you can eventually play (maybe not too fast) anything you can hear in your head.

I'd echo the above post as well - getting out of the box over the key signature of the tune and going with the progressions can help a bunch in playing new licks. Thene there's the mixing of Major, minor pentatonic and different scales over the chord shapes or arpeggios. You can play root chord C blues and not have to be stuck in the box at major or minor c pentatonic box. You can switch over the F and G chords too and eeven change scale types. Learn the Mixolydian scale to add to your pentatonic stuff.
Learning arpeggios was the first opening up of the fretboard in my earlier day.

Like you, I went to a guitar teacher for a couple lessons because I felt trapped.
I came to the teacher asking for help with my soloing, all we worked on was arpeggios all over the neck. It hurt a little at first, but like anything worth doing paid off later and not too much later. He made me write them all out, then learn them at speeds.

I play for little more than 2 years. I like playing blues, but I am still quite rookie level.

I have this problem:

Sometimes I hear in my head very cool and passionate blues licks, that are inside my playing ability.

But when I pick the guitar up, I don't remember them any more, I just start playing the same **** as always. I can't remember much new stuff.


But sometimes, those cool licks that are in my head - they like don't exist on the fretboard :D

I can't even seem to find the key they are in. Those notes in my head.. it seems they aren't on the fretboard at all.


I know Minor and Major pentatonic scales.

Any tips for me?

I like that classic blues - BBKing, SRV,...

I would suggest learning as many "stock" licks as you can. You get them from book/CDs, video lessons, etc. you will learn a ton and in the process you will start to develop your own style.

Eric Clapton only plays stuff he hears in his head when he improvises. I believe Joe Pass did it the same way also. i guess that is why some people can get by with little or no knowledge of theory....

Eric Clapton only plays stuff he hears in his head when he improvises. I believe Joe Pass did it the same way also. i guess that is why some people can get by with little or no knowledge of theory....

I don't know about Clapton, but Joe Pass definitely knew music theory.

Playing what you hear has to be developed. Some people are more naturall at it, but you can learn it. Learn theory, examples (licks and solos) and then investigate the theory behind the licks. You will get there.

I almost forgot... Ear training will help too.

Hello OP! You said:

I have this problem:
Sometimes I hear in my head very cool and passionate blues licks, that are inside my playing ability.
But when I pick the guitar up, I don't remember them any more, I just start playing the same **** as always. I can't remember much new stuff.
But sometimes, those cool licks that are in my head - they like don't exist on the fretboard
I can't even seem to find the key they are in. Those notes in my head.. it seems they aren't on the fretboard at all.

I've had the same problem, and every now and then it comes back, and I find myself in a rut. I think that maybe it happens to everyone, at least once in a while.

Here's a clip that might help. It's by the great JDarks, a guy who is not only a top notch guitar player, but who has a real gift for explaining things:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwhjalRiL8s

It helps and inspires me from time to time, and I hope it works for you too!